Of the 180,000 experience points, 45,000 had come from the Black Spider mission reward. Most of the rest had come from Han Xiao spending the past few days constantly making Folding War Blades and High Combustion Ammunition. The two blueprints had risen to lv2 and lv3, respectively. These low-cost, easy-to-manufacture blueprints were easier to level up in proficiency than the Light Power Arm and the First-Generation Ranger. After all, there were more chances to practice, and grinding proficiency was especially easy with consumable blueprints like ammunition.
He had only been in West Capital for about a month, yet he had earned more than 200,000 experience in total, equivalent to a third of what he had gained in half a year with the Germinal Organization. He also had the enormous sum of over 1.5 million on hand, so he did not have to worry about material costs for the time being.
The first advancement brought the greatest changes: energy would gain an attribute.
Han Xiao lightly touched his index finger to his thumb. A thread of energy, thin as a filament of electricity, connected his fingertips, faintly imbued with a weak magnetic force. The magnetic attribute was one of the Mechanic Class's exclusive attributes. In combat, it could not match the destructive power of violent attributes like fire and lightning. Its purpose was to enhance mechanical affinity; once energy reached a certain level, it could replace the hands in manufacturing machinery.
Energy attributes were not limited to natural elements. More broadly, they represented how a class used energy. For example, the Esper Class's energy had the [mental] attribute. Nor were energy attributes fixed. The Pugilist Class, for instance, could change its energy attribute by practicing different schools: the explosiveness of fire, the speed of wind, the toughness of iron, and so on...
Of the skills gained after advancement, [Geometric Thinking] was one of the talents unlocked by a mechanic's advancement. [Intermediate Mechanical Affinity] went without saying; its effect was better than the basic version. [Sliding Shot] was an active skill, the first he had gotten in a long time.
Choosing the gunner path would have granted three main skills, while choosing the mechanic path granted one of them. [Sliding Shot] leaned toward evasion. Although Han Xiao was not exactly a glass cannon, he did prefer this kind of minor skill that combined offense and defense over a high-damage ultimate move with enormous consumption. Its burst fire was not limited by magazine capacity, either, so it might prove surprisingly effective in certain situations.
[Energy Refinement Method] was a key skill that a main class was guaranteed to unlock after the first advancement.
It was a special type of skill-a growth-type skill. It had no skill level; instead, its effects increased through repeated training. Each training session consumed experience and increased energy by a certain amount. The skill's effects would only stop stacking once the maximum number of training sessions was reached. The results depended on the main class's primary attribute.
Most energy training methods were growth-type skills.
Energy was the foundation of a superhuman's power and played a major role in determining their energy rating and rank. The requirements for the first few energy levels were lv1-10, lv2-50, lv3-100, lv4-200, lv5-400, lv6-1000...
Upon meeting the requirement, one advanced to the next energy level and gained new attribute bonuses. At certain key levels, energy also gained new uses.
The first advancement was a watershed. Hila was level 30, but her energy rating had reached 500 ona, a full five times or so higher than Han Xiao's. [Energy Refinement Method] was one reason for the difference.
Taibo alloy was a new blueprint learned through [Advanced Material Synthesis]. It was a material blueprint for a green-quality material, suited to manufacturing external armor and highly resistant to impact. Its manufacturing requirement was Basic Refinement lv5.
From his 180,000 experience, Han Xiao first spent 25,000 to raise [Agent] to lv10. Reaching the maximum level granted more attributes: strength +2, dexterity +2, endurance +3, and charisma +1. He also gained 1 potential point and 1 free attribute point.
〔Advancement detected. Cancel the [Civilian] class?〕
Civilian was the first class for most humanoid players. It served as a beginner's guide, preventing players from being unable to level up because they had no class at the start. After their first advancement, they could choose to cancel the [Civilian] class, reducing their attributes in exchange for experience. But if [Civilian] reached the maximum level, it could no longer be canceled after advancement. Quite a few beginners with compulsive tendencies had once been badly burned by this.
"Cancel it," Han Xiao said. He had not received any bonuses from the class, so naturally he would not lose anything.
[Cos ivilian] disappeared from the subclass column on the panel, leaving only the max-level [Agent]. His total level remained 21.
He spent another 45,000 to raise [Basic Shooting] to level ten, giving it a 10% shooting accuracy modifier and dexterity +2, as well as another potential point.
That had used up 70,000 just like that. Han Xiao also had to set aside 64,000 experience for [Energy Refinement Method], which meant the experience he could use was... Hmm, wait a moment, let me count on my fingers.
Oh, there's 47,000 experience left!
"I'll save it for now."
Han Xiao sighed. Experience came quickly, but it went just as fast.
Fortunately, he still had High Combustion Ammunition. Once he started selling it, he would have a steady source of experience.
As soon as the time was up, Gu Hui reminded him, and the two returned upstairs.
Feng Jun had been waiting for a long time and took Han Xiao away.
Han Xiao suddenly remembered something. "Right, I heard someone named Krat turned in a Folding War Blade. Help me spread the word: I won't sell him anything."
Feng Jun was exasperated. "You really are treating me like a messenger, aren't you?"
Han Xiao was surprised. "Aren't you one?"
Feng Jun was at a loss for words. "I'll pass it on," he said glumly.
"He said he won't sell me anything?"
When Krat heard the rumor, he sneered dismissively.
He did not care about Han Xiao's background. What he cared about was material benefit. In his view, Han Xiao might not have better machinery in the future anyway. There would be no chance to do business anymore, but a threat like that meant nothing to him.
With matters at the Research and Development Department concluded, Han Xiao returned to the repair shop, where life was peaceful for two or three days.
After completing his advancement, Han Xiao familiarized himself with his own strength at home. Drawing on his past experience, he quickly mastered it, then began training [Energy Refinement Method]. Each session consumed stamina as well as experience. His stamina recovered at a limited rate, and he also had machinery to manufacture, so he could train at most twice a day.
〔You trained [Energy Refinement Method] once. Perfection: 81%. Energy +3〕
The training results depended on the class's primary attribute. The Mechanic Class's primary attribute was intelligence, and Han Xiao had put all four of his free attribute points into it, raising it to 36. He had previously invested quite a few points in strength and endurance to escape the base, but from now on, he only needed to consider intelligence.
The training results of [Energy Refinement Method] were divided into three tiers: below 40% perfection gave energy +1, 40%-80% gave energy +2, and above 80% gave energy +3. Han Xiao had just reached the third tier.
Since he no longer had an outlet for Folding War Blades, Han Xiao had gone several days without making a sale. He felt it was time to release his new product, High Combustion Ammunition. Over the past few days, he had accumulated several thousand rounds of various calibers.
Just as he was preparing to ask Li Yalin to spread the word, she called him first.
"The captain's out of the hospital. He's summoning everyone."
When Han Xiao arrived at the squad meeting room in the Secret Operations Department, his teammates had already been waiting for some time. He immediately noticed an additional man with a square face and an upright, earnest expression. His lips were pressed together, and he seemed trustworthy.
"You're Han Xiao?"
The captain looked displeased. His gaze held dissatisfaction and wariness as he scrutinized Han Xiao sternly.
Han Xiao was momentarily taken aback. Just then, Lin Yao tugged his sleeve and whispered, "The covert operations squad can only take in new members with the captain's approval, but your application to join was specially approved by the department while he was recovering from his injuries. So the captain might have some... uh, reservations about you. But don't worry. He's serious, but he's a good man."
So that's why.
Han Xiao turned to look and immediately got a fright. Lin Yao was wrapped head to toe in bandages like a rice dumpling, with only the eyes and mouth exposed. Lin Yao looked miserable.
Han Xiao asked in surprise, "Who beat you up?"
Li Yalin coughed.
Looking aggrieved, Lin Yao changed the answer. "I f-fell."
The corner of Han Xiao's mouth twitched. You're hurt that badly? Did you take part in something like "Fall a Hundred Times If You're a Man"?
The captain spoke, drawing everyone's attention back. "Let me introduce myself," he said in a deep voice. "I'm the squad captain, Zhang Wei."
Han Xiao was immediately astonished. "Just how casually did your parents pick your name? Only 'Ye Qiu' and 'Ye Fan' show up more often than yours."
Zhang Wei asked in surprise, "You know Ye Fan from the Hesla Military Intelligence Department? Zhong... ahem, I worked with him a few times before I was hospitalized."
Damn, there really is someone with that chosen name! That guy's luck must be S+, right?
"Back to the point." Zhang Wei's gaze was intense as he said sternly, "With you, our squad is back to its full complement of five members. Your position is logistics, but let me make this clear upfront: your record is a complete blank, and I don't trust your abilities. I'll reserve judgment on any instructions you give. If I think your abilities are lacking, I'll remove you from my team, even if you're a member specially approved by the higher-ups."